Friday, February 06, 2009

Michael Curry tryes to keep Detroit away from rumours consequences

The NBA trading deadline is in less than two weeks, which means trade rumors will float around regardless of how baseless or unsubstantiated they might be.

In fact, it makes for good water cooler conversation, but there is a potential downside for the players mentioned and their squads.

It’s interesting to mention that trade speculation can get in the way of player performance, and also how a squad plays.

But the topic of trade rumors is not one Pistons coach Michael Curry will address with his players.

"I leave that up to management," Curry told reporters after Friday's practice. "A lot of times, the more you talk about things, the more they become a theme or whatever. I never worried about it as a player, so maybe that's where I draw it from."

The Pistons already made a blockbuster trade this season at the time they sent captain Chauncey Billups and forward Antonio McDyess along with Cheikh Samb to Denver for Allen Iverson on Nov. 3.

More than three months have passed since the trade, and the Pistons still are figuring out how to mesh Iverson's talents with the current group of Pistons.

As we said, Detroit is 22-21 since the trade with Iverson in the lineup, and 4-0 without him.

Joe Dumars, Detroit's president of basketball operations, has heard several players linked to Detroit as possible trade targets.

While he will not rule out another important trade, Dumars expressed in an e-mail Friday there is "nothing but the usual chatter" between him and fellow league executives leading up to the Feb. 19 trade deadline.

If the squad does consider making a move, Dumars must weigh the deal's impact on a roster that has not handled change particularly well this season.

"To be really good, you have to be able to handle change," the Coach expressed. "You have to be able to handle trade rumors, just anything that comes up; just stay steady. The steadier you can be, the better you perform."

Allen Iverson still thinks about final victory

Indeed, despite losing nine of their past 12 clashs and watching the Cavaliers and Boston Celtics dominate late in their last two losses, the Pistons still have plenty of time, Iverson expressed.

"I'm sure everybody's confidence is still up because we got a long way to go," expressed Iverson, who scored 22 points against the Cavs. "At this point, even before the All-Popular player break, if we lose our confidence there isn't any reason to even come back after break because we would be going out there playing for nothing.

"My confidence is at an all-time high, honestly, because I still feel good about the guys I play with and our coaching staff."

But it's tough for others to share Iverson's bravado.

It’s good to say that January's 6-9 record was the squad's first losing month since February 2004 -- which happens to be the month Rasheed Wallace joined the Pistons during their last NBA title run.

Detroit is 25-21 and tied for the fifth-best record in the Eastern Conference, but the Pistons are only four clashs ahead of the ninth-place New York Knicks at 21-25. Finish ninth, and the Pistons are watching the playoffs in their comfortable living rooms.

The squad's recent bad defense has made headlines, and rightfully so, since there have been some frightful outings.

But the Pistons are fourth in the NBA in scoring defense (93.2) and seventh in field-goal percentage defense (44.9%).

As we said before, the problem is on the offensive end, where the Pistons are still disjointed after trading for Iverson nearly three months ago. The Pistons are 28th in scoring (92.9).

Coach Michael Curry would like to run more to take advantage of the open-court skills of Iverson and Rodney Stuckey, but do other members of the squad mesh with that style?

The Pistons saw two squads in sync over the weekend in the Cavaliers and Celtics.

"Those two squads are all on the same page, offensively and defensively," backup guard Arron Afflalo expressed. "They have one common goal, and that's to win the clash and do whatever it takes to win. And that's the point we all have to get to."

And though it may be tough to believe right now, others say they share Iverson's confidence.

"I’m sure it's going to take a lot (to turn things around)," Tayshaun Prince expressed. "It starts in practice. Everybody has to buckle down and take it individually. We just have to respond.

"It's frustrating. Especially for guys like myself, (Rip Hamilton) and (Wallace) who've had the success we've had here. To come in here and take the losses and losing the way we have, it's frustrating."

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Iverson had a bad night as Pistons beat Nuggets

It's true that the Detroit Pistons still are a man-to-man defensive squad, but they have shown the ability to mix it up with some zone and an occasional double team. That made them win in the past.

However, the Pistons used just about every defensive trick at their disposal, all of which were needed, as they held on to defeat the Denver Nuggets, 98-93 on Monday night.

Indeed, Denver, led by two of the league's most explosive scorers in Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson, shot just 36 percent from the field. Anthony and the popular "Answer" were a combined 15-of-39 from the field. In the pivotal fourth quarter, Denver's dynamic duo missed five of their six shots from the field.

"And to hold a side like that to 93 points in their building is pretty good," Detroit coach Flip Saunders expressed.

The strong Tayshaun Prince, one of three Pistons to score 20 points, talked about how the Pistons switched their defense when Anthony and Iverson got on a roll.

In fact, Detroit played some zone, did some tilting, and, at times, even double-teamed the two All-Stars. That forced other Nuggets, such as Linas Kleiza (eight points) and J.R. Smith (13 points), to make plays.

"But once we went back to man, we were able to get key stops and make some shots on the offensive end," Prince concluded.

Friday, December 07, 2007

Iverson lead Nuggets' win over Mavs

He wanted a revenge. Allen Iverson netted 35 points just a night after putting up 51, and this time it was enough to lead the Denver Nuggets to victory, sending them past the host Dallas Mavericks 122-109 Thursday night.

Indeed, the "Answer" made a great effort against the Los Angeles Lakers, and it came in defeat. But this time, he mixed in 12 assists as the Nuggets won for the third time in seven games.

"A.I. had it all going from everywhere," admitted Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki, who had 32 points and 12 rebounds. "He was driving and making shots in-between."

We must notice that Linas Kleiza benefited from Iverson's passing, scoring 23 points. Carmelo Anthony also had 23 despite shooting 9 for 30 from the field.

Also Jerry Stackhouse added 23 points for the Mavericks, who lost their second in a row, third in four encounters and sixth in the past nine.

The Mavs gave up its most points this season in a quarter (39, the first), a half (64, the first) and a game.

"It was a layup drill out there," Nowitzki expressed. "At no point in the game I thought we could really stop them."

Allen Iverson made 12 of 19 field goals and was 11 of 13 from the line. He played 43 minutes, despite having gone all 48 the night before.

"He's the Energizer bunny," said fellow starting guard Anthony Carter. "He just doesn't get tired. Indeed, he was charged up for this game."

The Nuggets led by as many as 16 before the Mavericks tied it at 82 late in the third quarter. Dallas was still within 94-92 in the final minute of the period. But a pair of baskets by Iverson in the final seconds of the quarter started a 13-2 spurt that also included a three-pointer from defensive specialist Eduardo Najera.

It's important to mention that Josh Howard had 20 points for Dallas. He had 17 at halftime, then got his fourth foul seconds into third quarter and didn't score again until there was 8:18 to play.

The German Nowitzki scored 13 points in the third quarter but had only two in the final 16 minutes.

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Iverson's ankle still wounded

Nuggets guard Allen Iverson was still not fit to be back on the court. His ankle is the reason why he missed the clash against Phoenix, his fourth consecutive game out on the bench.

"Still, I'm going to try to go Wednesday," Iverson admitted about the Nuggets' next game, against New Orleans. "I didn't think it was going to be that bad, because I kept playing on it. However, right after the match and the next day, I knew there was something wrong."

We can see that the Nuggets have sorely missed Iverson's 29 points per game. They have averaged 97.3 points in his absence, well below the 105 the Nuggets have put up for the season. Still, Allen Iverson expressed that he will not return until he has healed.

"Actually I don't feel good," the Answer stated. "But I won't try to rush back, because I think that would hurt it more if I try to rush back and hurt it worse and have it go on for the rest of this season."

The popular player said he's surprised at how long the injury has persisted.

"I knew what I did," the former Sixer said. "I knew that I rolled it. I played through it. In fact, the next morning I knew it was going to be sore, but I didn't know it was going to be like this."

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Nuggets were better that Bucks: 104-92

It was an important result for the Nuggets, because Earl Boykins scored 26 points and Allen Iverson had 23 to lead Denver past visiting Milwaukee 104-92 last night.

According to the game report, Milwaukee Bucks were without injured guard Michael Redd and lost his backcourt mate Mo Williams during the clash.

It's good to notice that the Nuggets know how Milwaukee feels. Denver has been without the NBA's top scoring tandem since Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith brawled with the New York Knicks last month.

Even the popular Allen Iverson has a sprained right big toe, which he hurt Friday night against the Lakers and irritated against Milwaukee when he jammed it into the floor again. The squad said X-rays were negative and listed him as probable for Wednesday night against San Antonio.

In a demonstration of comitment, Iverson said :"If it was cut off, I'd play,".

Furthermore, Earl Boykins scored 26 points and Iverson had 23, including a crucial 3-pointer in the closing minutes to stave off Milwaukee's rally and help the Nuggets snap a five-game losing streak.

"I'm really not so sure I feel happy as much as I feel relieved," Denver coach George Karl admitted.

Iverson, the former Sixer found a positive side to the skid.

"That was tough to lose five in a row, but I kind of learned a lot about this team, just going through some adversity with them early instead of everything being peaches and cream," expressed Iverson, who came over from Philadelphia last month.

"The morale around the team wasn't great but it wasn't negative," Iverson added. "I think it wasn't to the point where everybody was pointing fingers at each other and blaming each other."

Mired in a shooting slump, Allen Iverson said he knew better than to try to put the team on his shoulders. He shot 9-for-21 against the Bucks.

"I've been struggling too bad. I'm trying desperately to just find my game," he said. "I'm missing shots that I usually can make with my eyes closed. And especially the layups.

"And when you're missing jumpers, it usually doesn't bother you too much because you know you can get in there and get a layup and try to get you back into some type of groove. However, when you're missing layups, too, it's tough to try to break out of that."

We must also say that Ruben Patterson, who played in Denver last season, started in Redd's spot and scored 29 points, three shy of his career high, and had 12 rebounds.

What's more, the Bucks also were without forward Charlie Villanueva, Milwaukee's major offseason addition, who missed his third straight game with an injured right shoulder.

As we know, Williams sprained his left shoulder just before halftime when he collided with Linas Kleiza near midcourt while going for the ball. In fact, Williams made it to his feet after a minute and missed two foul shots before leaving with 29 seconds left in the half. He didn't return and is day to day.

In the end, Boykins' 3-pointer just before the buzzer gave Denver a 60-49 lead at the break, and it maintained an 11-point lead following an ugly third quarter. The Bucks chipped away and pulled to 87-82 on Ersan Ilyasova's jump attempt with just under 5 minutes left but they just couldn't get any closer.

Friday, December 29, 2006

Nuggets got a great win over Sonics in the NBA

Allen Iverson has a new home and he is already giving satisfactions to the fans. The talented player Denver Nuggets beat Seattle SuperSonics 112-98 on Thursday night. This triumph meant coach George Karl's 800th win.

The most important part of the night was the 44 points scored by Allen Iverson. Furthermore, Karl was handed a Denver jersey with No. 800 on it along with the game ball after beating his former team to become only the 12th coach in NBA history to reach the milestone. In fact, he's 800-555 in 19 seasons.

The former Sixer had his highest-scoring game since being acquired by Denver in a trade with Philadelphia on Dec. 19. His season high is 46 against Chicago on Nov. 24.

It's important to mention that Earl Boykins added 24 points, and Reggie Evans had a season-high 18 rebounds. He was on a good night too.

In the other side, Seattle's Damien Wilkins matched his career high with 26 points, and Luke Ridnour marked 16 points for the SuperSonics.

Friday, December 22, 2006

Iverson lands in Denver, and might have his debut on Friday

It's incredible how many things happened with AI in the last weeks, but it was real. Now, the talented Iverson, wearing his usual No. 3, hopes to make his debut with the Denver Nuggets on Friday, weather permitting, when his new team hosts the Sacramento Kings. A blizzard forced the postponement of Wednesday's match against the Phoenix Suns, just adding to the anticipation of "the Answer" playing in a Nuggets uniform.

Howevr, we must remember that the trade isn't official until all parties involved have passed their physicals, which they are expected to do without any problems.

I't nice to know that Iverson's new teammate, DerMarr Johnson, gave up his No. 3 so Iverson could keep his old number. The Iverson No. 3 Nuggets jersey also went on sale at the NBA Store in New York and online Thursday.

Almost as soon as the trade was announced, supporters began clamoring for Iverson jerseys, and the team sold 340 season-ticket packages and about 4,000 single-match tickets within 30 minutes. In fact, the Denver Nuggets are 25th in attendance, averaging only 15,807, a dropoff of 1,331 a game from last season.

What's more, Denver coach George Karl is eager to get Iverson and Anthony on the floor together, which won't happen until Anthony's 15-game suspension ends for his part in last Saturday's brawl.

Miami coach Pat Riley, whose squad also made an offer for Iverson, said he doesn't forsee problems arising from Anthony and the controversial Iverson, the two leading scorers in the NBA, playing together. "I think Allen wants to win now, so I think he'll be more accommodating," Riley admitted. "I do believe their system is appropriate for both of them. They really get out and run, they open the court up and Allen is amazing in the open court."

We must consider that Iverson moving to the Western Conference also makes the All-Star balloting interesting. He gets credit for all of the votes cast for him when he was a Sixer as well as votes cast for him up to the Jan. 22 deadline.

In fact, at the last reporting of results, Iverson led all East guards with 638,999 votes, 159,225 more than Miami's Dwyane Wade. Since he is in the West now, he was only 25,745 behind Lakers' Kobe Bryant of the Lakers and 76,153 ahead of Steve Nash of Phoenix for the two starting guard spots. That is a good mark.

Saturday, December 09, 2006

The truth about Iverson's trade

The whole country talks about Allen Iverson's trade. The player is poised to leave the Philadelphia 76ers after the club agreed to his request to be traded.

As we know, the NBA superstar has spent 11 years with the 76ers, who made him their number one draft pick in 1996, but was frozen out of their last two matches.

"As hard as it is to admit, a change may be the best thing for everyone," said the popular "Answer".

When asked if Iverson would be traded, owner Ed Snider expressed: "No question. It's time for him to move on."

Iverson, who has topped the NBA scoring charts in four separate seasons, has been a key figure for the Philadlphia 76ers.

However, despite leading them to the 2001 NBA finals, he has done little to lift them out of their current slump.

In fact, the squad have lost 12 out of their last 14 games and are rock bottom of the Eastern Conference, Atlantic Division.

It's important to say that Iverson's future appeared to have been sealed when he was told he was not needed in Friday's practice and then reportedly barred from the building.

"Head coach Maurice Cheeks told me that I did not need to come to the arena on Friday or travel to Orlando (for Saturday's game)," Iverson admitted.

"In fact, it was so disheartening to be told that I couldn't play, knowing that I was ready.

"I love the guys on the team and the city of Philadelphia. I truly wanted to retire a 76er."

Cheeks explained his decision, expresing: "I made the decision based on Wednesday's game in Chicago, where he didn't play the fourth quarter. It's just that he didn't practice (Thursday) and he didn't go through shootaround (Friday). I made the decision based on that."

Friday, December 01, 2006

Iverson fined for missing event

It sounds really simple. It didn’t cost anything for corporate sponsors and others to attend a Sixers event on Wednesday night at the Lucky Strike Bowling Lanes.

However,it cost Allen Iverson a substantial amount of money for not attending.

In fact, coach Maurice Cheeks confirmed that the Sixers’ captain was the only player not to make a mandatory appearance at the event, and announced that he “will be fined accordingly.”

As we know, the Center City event was attended by about 300 sponsors, premium seat-holders and some season ticketholders.

“We would have liked him to be there, but he wasn’t, and that was his choice,” Cheeks expressed. “I just can’t speculate on why he wasn’t there, but he wasn’t there.”

A source said that Allen Iverson was upset when he left practice earlier in the day, less than an hour after the 11 a.m. start at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

And after practice, Cheeks said Iverson had left early because he “was a little fatigued.”

Asked whether the talented player had been upset, Cheeks said, “Whatever happened between him and me, I’d like to keep that private.”

WE must consider that Iverson was coming off a 45-point performance in Monday night’s 103-91 loss in Miami in which he shot 17-for-37 from the floor. Since missing two games because of dental surgery to have an abscessed wisdom tooth removed, he has accumulated 122 points in three games, including a loss to Detroit and a victory over Chicago.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Sixers fall to Cavaliers

The Sixers are not having a good time this new season. They lost their fourth straight away game Saturday night, falling to 2-6 overall on the road with a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. They will have two more road games before their return to the Wachovia Center, with one of them Monday night against the Miami Heat.

The latest loss was a real cause for concern. The Philadelphia 76ers went from a 13-point lead late in the first quarter to a 13-point deficit by halftime against the Cavaliers, and didn't get enough offense, defense or rebounding in the second half to make a significant dent in the Cleveland lead.

"Honestly, I felt like this was the worst loss that we've had this year," Allen Iverson said after the game.

"We just broke down in every aspect of the match, and it cost us the game. Hopefully, we can learn from it and we can get better, but this one right here is tough. I think it's the toughest loss we've had."

Friday, November 17, 2006

Iverson will pay funeral of violence victim

When he was younger, Allen Iverson violence on streets took the life of one of his best friends. Even today, as a millionaire NBA player, he is aware of the chilling effect of guns on the city of Philadelphia.

That's one of the reasons why once he read the story of Kevin Johnson, a southwest Philadelphia man who was shot in 2003 and left a quadriplegic by an assailant who demanded that he give up the Iverson jersey he was wearing, he felt he had to do something about it.

The "Answer" will pay for the funeral of Johnson, 22, who died at 4:40 a.m. Tuesday after his mother, Janice Jackson-Burke, removed him from life support.

“In fact, she just told me how much he loved me and how much he loved the Sixers and that she really appreciated it,” Iverson said Wednesday night, before the 76ers’ game against the Seattle SuperSonics, in his first public comment on the situation. “It was really sad to see that she had to say goodbye to her son.”

The Sixers' player said she invited him to her son’s funeral, which is Wednesday, but the Sixers will be in Milwaukee that day.

It's important to say that Johnson was seriously injured in 2003 after he was approached by five teens, one of whom shot him in the neck. He became an inspirational figure, speaking to schools and at rallies advising people to stay away from guns. He forgave his attackers.

Sadly, Johnson suffered irreparable brain damage last weekend after his breathing machine failed. His mother decided to take him off life support.

Iverson expressed once he saw Johnson’s story in the newspaper, he felt he needed to do something. Aided by his wife, Tawanna, who found the hospital where Johnson lay critically ill, he got in contact with Jackson-Burke and spoke to her and Kevin’s aunt.

“It's just that they didn’t have the financial support to be able to have the funeral like they wanted,” he admitted. “So I spoke to her and asked them: Could I do anything to help?

“I didn’t want them to asume I was trying to disrespect them by doing it for any publicity or anything like that. It was just something that touched me, and I felt I could do something to help. She appreciated it. I was very happy that she let me help.”

“It’s really terrible what’s going on in Philadelphia,” he said. “I just kind of felt like I’ve got to do something more than I have been doing to try to help this situation as much as I can. If I could reach just one person and take one death away, I think I’d be doing something. However, it’s not right in Philadelphia right now.”

Monday, November 06, 2006

The Answer leads Sixers in victory over Heat

Proving that he is in great form, Allen Iverson scored 31 points and dished out 13 assists as the Philadelphia 76ers continued their perfect start to the new season with a 107-98 triumph over Miami Heat on Sunday.

Indeed, with Iverson in top gear and the Heat without an injured Shaquille O'Neal, the 76ers pulled away in the third quarter out-scoring the NBA champions 28-16 on their way to a third straight win to remain the Eastern conference's only unbeaten squad.

We must keep in mind that O'Neal missed the game with a bruised left knee he injured during the Heat's win over New Jersey on Friday.

Fortunately, the player will be examined by doctors when the team returns to Miami.

We must mention that Kyle Korver contributed 22 points to the Philadelphia cause while Andre Iguodala chipped in with 20 and Chris Webber helped out with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Fans are happy to see that Antoine Walker paced Miami with 23 points and Dwyane Wade had 20 and 11 assists but the Heat still fell to their second loss in three encounters.

Monday, October 30, 2006

Iverson will star his 11th season with the Sixers

It's very likely that Allen Iverson thought on occasion during the summer that he wouldn't be accompanying the Philadelphia 76ers on their European tour, considering all the trade rumors involving him that swirled for two months of the offseason.

And the thought must have been in his head on the plane to Barcelona, Spain, while he talked to younger teammates about his time with the team.

"I was sharing some experiences with them about being here for as long as I've been," Allen told the press. "Then Willie Green said, 'You feel the way you do about this organization, you have this much love for the organization, probably because this is all you know."

"And that was the first time somebody ever said something like that to me, and it was honestly true. I never looked at it like that. Maybe I wanted to stay here because of the loyalty. But it's true that Philadelphia is all I know."

Anyway, Iverson will be starting his 11th season with the Sixers, the only team he has known since they made him the No. 1 pick of the 1996 draft, and that's astonishing considering the almost-daily reports in June and July of his going to Boston or Denver or Golden State.

"I feel I am an original 76er," Iverson claims. "When you look back at all the original Sixers, as far as Dr. J, Charles Barkley, Wilt Chamberlain, I put myself in that category."

And among active players, Iverson's 10 seasons with the Sixers are the second most among those who have played with the team that drafted them. We must remember that Kevin Garnett has been with Minnesota for 11 seasons.

The "Answer" is the face of the 76ers around the league and, as proven last year in China and this year in Spain and Germany, around the world. The player is the reason hundreds of fans come out to watch the Sixers in league cities while wearing No. 3 jerseys and cheering him on as if he was one of their own.

It's very likely that this season, Iverson will become the 34th player in league history to score 20,000 career points. He also was named the league's most valuable player in 2001, has won four scoring titles and started seven times in the All-Star Game. Despite that, he lacks a title — and plays for a squad that made few changes after going 38-44.

But Allen never said he really wants to go somewhere else: "I guess it's just because of the experience, everything that I've learned here, just developing into a man, all the ups and downs and having to overcome the different problems that I've overcome in my career," and he repeats one more tim: "I'm a Sixer at heart, and that's just the way it is."

Friday, October 06, 2006

Iverson and the Sixers lose in Spain

The Sixers lost in Spain, but it's interesting to see how popular Iverson can be. Winterthur FC Barcelona was the home squad. Juan Carlos Navarro is the fans' hero. Last night, Allen Iverson was, as he remains in virtually every 76ers setting, the fans' darling.

Children in Iverson jerseys, most unable to speak English, wait outside the 76ers' practice facility, praying for a glimpse. Kids and adults lined the path leading to the security entrance of Palau Sant Jordi last night, all but begging for autographs. Evidence of Allen Iverson's massive popularity was all over the sold-out arena.

In fact, the people didn't get as much Iverson as they had hoped for (13 points, 3-for-12 shooting, six assists), but they saw their hometown team victory, 104-99, becoming the first team to defeat an NBA team on European soil.

"I think Allen is becoming sort of a youth lifestyle icon," commissioner David Stern admitted in a pregame news conference. "Kids like celebrities who are sort of perceived as loyal to themselves but not conforming to [standards] set by others.

"Allen has inherited that mantle, a genuine person on the one hand and an amazing competitor who throws his body into the match in terms of his physical intensity and his effort. That makes him popular in China, makes him popular in Europe and makes him popular in the United States".

Iverson is a major face of Reebook. More recently, he's become one of the faces of vitaminwater; he's even endorsing DAP body spray. Stern was more than ready to invoke a commercial slogan, mentioning the Reebok slogan, "I am what I am." In America, that's Iverson in many of the commercials and posters. In Europe, that's soccer star Thierry Henry.

It's good to mention that Stern said Iverson "personifies it, and that makes him very popular [on posters] in subway stations."

Stern claims that he knew this was coming "years ago when people whose judgments and values I respect said to me 'I didn't really think I should like Allen Iverson, but watching him on the court and the effort that he puts out makes it impossible for me not to be a fan of his and to admire him.' That, to me, was a seal."

Still, Stern has vivid memories of Iverson's formative years in the NBA, and of the times the commissioner had to summon the 6-foot guard to the league offices or make a disciplinary decision. Stern hasn't forgotten the moments when controversy seemed to be everywhere.

"I've just had to be a little bit of a tugboat, focusing on a little bit of change of direction off the court," Stern expressed, allowing himself a smile. "In some ways, I think we were running a little interference for him rather than disciplining him." he finished.

Sunday, October 01, 2006

"I am a Sixer at heart"

Allen Iverson has repeated one phrase a lot in order to make clear that he will stay in Philadelphia. "I'm a Sixer at heart" he said yesterday at the Wachovia Center.

In fact, Iverson said it one more time as he participated in his 11th Media Day with the Sixers.

So, we understand that he wants to spend his entire career in Philadelphia. "I'd have to be sent out of here," Iverson said. "I don't think there would ever be a day that I'd ask to leave."

In ten years with the Sixers, Iverson has been an NBA MVP once and an NBA All-Star seven times, won four scoring titles, and represented the United States in the Olympics in 2004.

We must remember that the only thing Iverson doesn't have is an NBA championship, and at this stage of his career, with the Sixers coming off a 38-44 season, it doesn't look as if he will win one here.

The trip to the 2001 NBA Finals looks more and more as if it will be the high moment of the Iverson era.

"I want to add that championship to my resume," said Iverson, who is only 30 but has a decade of NBA wear on his body. "But when you know that you've been someplace for so long and you've been trying to accomplish the same goal for years and years, you just want to keep going until the wheels fall off.

"I'm a Sixer at heart. That's just the way it is."

The Answer calls himself an "original Sixer," like Julius Erving, Charles Barkley, Wilt Chamberlain and all the others whose legacy is forever linked to this city and franchise.

"I guess it's just the because of the experience," Iverson said of wanting to stay in Philadelphia, "everything I've learned here, developing into a man, all the ups and downs and having to overcome different obstacles I've had in my career.

"You hear about all the negative things that are going in the city, and I just want to be a part of something positive, something that will make people happy and they will cherish for all time.

"I want to win a championship more than anyone in this league, but I want to win it in Philadelphia. If they told me I had to go somewhere else, I'd give my all to that place as far as my basketball abilities just like I have to Philadelphia.

"However, until that day comes, I'm a Sixer, and I'll fight to try and get a title here every season" he concluded.

Thursday, August 31, 2006

The "Answer" to face a lawsuit

These are really unbelievable news. Sixers' most important player, Allen Iverson, is being sued for $2.4 million amid claims he helped hire a security team accused of attacking four persons at a nightclub in 2005 in Hampton, Va.

According to the source, the four plaintiffs say they were assaulted by members of “The Horsemen,” a security team they say was hired by Iverson and Gary Moore, Iverson’s business manager and president of CrossOver Promotions Inc. They were to control the crowd during a July 9, 2005 event at Crabbers Restaurant and Sports Lounge, according to papers filed Monday in Hampton Circuit Court.

Indeed, according to the lawsuit, Iverson, Moore and Crossover Promotions were negligent by hiring “dangerous individuals” who had shown a propensity toward unnecessary violence.

It's important to mention that Iverson, Moore and security staff all are named in the four lawsuits, one on behalf of each plaintiff. In fact, each has requested a jury trial, seeking $600,000 in damages, plus legal fees.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Iverson's mother to own a franchise

It's a really interesting announcement. NBA All-Star Allen Iverson's mother will run a professional basketball franchise this season. Indeed, Ann Iverson is now the majority owner and chairperson of the American Basketball Association's Richmond team.

ABA CEO Joe Newman announced, "Richmond is a great basketball city and will be a great ABA city. We are pleased to be back there. We have a really big ownership group, very knowledgeable and experienced and we know that they will do a terrific job."

Former Virgina Tech player Michael Davis will be the team's head coach. Davis noticed, "The talent around here is awesome."

We must remember that the ABA has struggled to stay afloat since it came to fruition in 2000. Many teams have folded due in large part to financial issues.

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Billy King responds to Denver Post writer

A publication about Iverson just made him mad. Billy King said there was no truth to a column this week in the Denver Post that said the Sixers' upper management had vetoed a proposed trade of Allen Iverson to the Denver Nuggets.

In fact, that column expressed two of the principals in trade talks between the Sixers and Nuggets were Iverson and Denver forward Kenyon Martin.

We must remember that columnist Thomas George wrote Tuesday: ''The Nuggets have already offered Martin to the Sixers as part of a package to secure Iverson (the Philadelphia coaching staff said yes, but their chairman, Ed Snider, said no, concerned about Martin's previously bum left knee).''

And then King briefly commented on the column Wednesday night: "It's a bogus article, and I vehemently deny that there was ever any truth to that article".

An unofficial source agreed with King, saying that the Sixers never had considered Martin, who has five years and more than $70 million remaining on his contract.

As we all know, at the beginning of the month, it was assumed that Iverson would be traded, but now the feeling persists that the Sixers might not deal their seven-time all-star guard.

King refused to comment on this speculation, but earlier this week, coach Maurice Cheeks announced that he is preparing as if Iverson will be back.

Allen Iverson

The Answer in every game he plays, Allen Iverson is the best player in the NBA. The world admires the talent of this little giant. And you will have his news, videos, interviews and every detail, only here.

If you have a MyYahoo! or My MSN account, you can receive Allen Iverson's latest news! Add this feed to your RSS reader: